This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for the administration of medication, and in particular to the aerosol administration of medication through an endotracheal tube.
The primary goal of emergency therapy is to quickly and efficiently deliver the medication required during the crisis period. In many emergency situations the selection of the route of administration can be nearly as important as the selection of the medication. For example, while prompt intravenous administration of medication is usually the first choice, it is often not possible because of cardiovascular collapse which prevents the placement of either peripheral or central venous catheters.
The establishment of a patient airway, for example with an endotracheal tube, is usually the first action taken during emergency treatment. The endotracheal tube provides a route for the administration of injectable medication. By injecting medication in liquid form from a syringe into the central bore of an endotracheal tube, the medication is deposited on the epithelial surface of the upper airways and absorbed into the bronchial and pulmonary circulation. This method of administration of medication in liquid form has some disadvantages: some of the liquid medication is lost on the interior surface of the endotracheal tube; the liquid medication is distributed over only a relatively small portion of the available pulmonary surfaces, delaying uptake and limiting the dosage that can be administered; it is time consuming to dilute the medication and load the syringe; and the use of this method of administration may require the interruption of CPR efforts.
Various endotracheal tubes have been constructed to facilitate the delivery of liquid medication through the endotracheal tube. For example the devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,119,101, 4,669,463, and 4,821,714 each provide for the administration of medication in liquid form via an endotracheal tube. However, these devices still suffer from the same disadvantages associated with the administration of medication in liquid form discussed above.